Brown Announces Funding for Vehicles Manufactured At Lima's JSMC in Key Defense Bill

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Senate-passed FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report includes $1.35 billion for Abrams Tank upgrades and $1.12 billion to support the Stryker vehicles. The workforce at Lima's Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) support these programs. The House-Senate NDAA conference report now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.

"The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center's workforce delivers critical capabilities to our troops throughout the world. This funding authorization will increase the survivability and lethality of the Stryker and Abrams Tanks, which have proven highly capable time and time again. This funding authorization will continue to support JSMC's workforce by expanding production, and ensures that our forces have the vehicles that they need," said Brown.

Brown has been a strong advocate for JSMC in Lima:

Brown has long fought to ensure Lima's JSMC has the funding it needs to support its missions involving the Stryker vehicles, including in the FY2021 NDAA spending package.

Last year, Brown and Sen. Portman fought to secure the additional $375 authorization language for Lima in the Senate's version of the NDAA. The amendment was not agreed to on the Senate floor, but Brown continued pushing for higher funding levels in the Conference Report.

In 2019, Brown toured the JSMC after leading efforts to secure investments for JSMC and fight for its workers.

In 2018, Brown worked to secure more than $1.79 billion to protect critical manufacturing jobs at Lima's JSMC in the FY 2019 defense appropriations bill.

In March 2017, Brown met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to highlight the importance of continued funding for the Abrams Tank and the Stryker Vehicle. In May 2017, Brown wrote to his Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committee colleagues to support inclusion of the Abrams Tank and Stryker Vehicle in both the NDAA and the Defense Appropriations bill.

In October 2016, Brown and Portman (R-OH) brought then-Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy to Lima for a tour of the JSMC. Brown and Portman have been longtime champions of the JSMC and have worked over the years with the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) leadership to promote the work done in Lima.

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